Japan's Suzuki Joins Coaching Staff for WXV2 Rugby 2024
World Rugby has officially announced that Yoko Suzuki has been added to the Japan coaching team as part of the Gallagher High-Performance Academy associated with the WXV2 2024 competition. Suzuki is one of 11 female coaches selected for this program.
Another notable addition to the Academy is Yuka Kanematsu, who was recently appointed Head Coach of the Japan Women’s Sevens team.
“We are delighted to welcome the 11 coaches joining us for the next edition of this vital program. The Gallagher High-Performance Academy has been pivotal in advancing the careers of female rugby coaches, and it has been inspiring to follow the progress of the participants so far,” said Sally Horrox, the World Rugby Chief of Women’s Rugby.
Suzuki’s appointment marks a significant milestone: For the first time, one-third of the coaches for the women’s teams on HSBC SVNS Series 2025 will be female. Additionally, Samoan Bella Milo, who has played and coached rugby in Hong Kong since 2015, has also been named one of the selected coaches.
As confirmed by World Rugby and Gallagher, the coaches chosen for the 2024 Gallagher High-Performance Academy will participate in a comprehensive global development and leadership program aimed at enhancing the representation of female coaches leading up to the Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025. Since 2023, the Gallagher High Performance Academy has supported 26 female coaches.
Gallagher has expressed pride in being the founding partner of the program, demonstrating its commitment to improving the pathway for female coaches and other high-performance roles in women’s rugby.
Horrox commented on their achievement for Women’s Rugby. “We set ourselves the ambitious goal of achieving 40% female coaches in the coaching teams at the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. It is encouraging to see that we are on track to meet this target. This initiative reflects both our and Gallagher’s unwavering commitment to fostering diversity and striving for gender equity in rugby,” said Horrox.
Notable success stories from the program include Larissa Muldoon, who assumed the role of Assistant Backs and Attacks Coach for Ireland at the Guinness Women’s Six Nations and was appointed as the Head Coach of Ireland U18s, and Catrina Nicholas-McLaughlin, who coached the Gwalia Lightning in the Celtic Challenge and progressed to the position of Defence Coach for Wales U18s and U20s.
